Process and apparatus for making printing-plates.



PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MAKiN G PRINTING PLATES.

' APPLICATION 111150 11111. 17,1912.

1 1 ,15 1 ,4601 7 1 11611161 Aug. 19111 3 SHEETS--SHEET I F91 Q42 14' 41% 6 fjg 5 WW MAXW;

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,J. A. H. HATT, PROCIfiSS AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING PRINTING PLATES. APPLICATION FILED IAN- I7rI9I2.

' Patented Aug. 24, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- M gvwantpz J. A. H. HATT. PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING PRINTING PLATES.

APFHCATION HLED JAN-17,1912.

Q 'awwwtoz Josnma: uterus. nuns? new, or rescission, is. 1., 'essieuos 'ro Hues KNUDSEN,

or snooritsn,

AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING PRINTING-214E338.

application filed January 17,

To all whom it may concern though in certain of its aspects the invention may be found suitable for use otherwise than by the action of light.

It has been found in practice that it difiicult and practically impossible to retain thin paper or other suitable transparent or light transmitting media always of precisely the same size when used as a design carryingv element after'having the designs cemented or otherwise fastened thereto and placed in the printing; frame, or exposing table, or when there are changes in the humidity of the atmosphere. As a result, there is variation or shifting in the registration of the design or designs which is destructive of firstclass results in high grade printing, and this is especially the case in multi-color Work.

The present invention is intended to overcome these difficulties, as will more fully appear hereinafter, and other objects of the invention will be set forth hereinafter or will be obvious herefrom to those skilled in the art, and the manner and means of their attainment is pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention consists in the novel steps and processes, and likewise in the parts, apparatus, constructions, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The features of this invention are distingu'ished by the claims over the features in my co-pending application of even date, Serial Number 671,762.

The accompanying drawings, illustrate the manner of carrying out my process and also certain means and apparatus Whichmav be employed. therein.

. Of the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of the stretching frame for the transparent design carrying sheet; Fig. 2 is a section on the line Ar-l3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view of gpeciflcstion oi iiettms Eetent.

191%. lic'rial H0. 671361.

the templet or guide plate by which the dc signs are registered upon the transparent des gn carrying sheet; Fig. 4 is s view of a. design with its registering marks to cooperate with those on the guide plate; 5 shows the stretching frame and the transparent design carrying;- sheet located over theguule plate and a. plurality of designs registered or positioned upon the design currymg sheet preparatory to being attached thereto in such registered position; Fig. 6 is a yiew looking at Fig. fi ic'rom the edge; Fig. 7 IS a view of a printing frame or exposing table during the transfer or impression of the design to a printing plate by. the action of light; Fig. 8 is a section on the line C fi of Fig. 7 g and Fig. 9 is a. fragmentary view corresponding to Fig. 8 but enlarged and a frame 1 of thin, fiat material which postimes.

A templet or guide plate 3 is employed, and thereon registering marks 4 are placed in such relation as to properly position a design or a plurality of designs with respect to each other. The guide plate may be of stone or metal or other suitable material which is not affected to any practical degree by temperature and atmospheric changes.

The dcsign'o, that is, the designbearing sheet or element 5, is provided with registering marks 6 of suitable form to cooperate with the marks 4 so as to-locate the design, or the designs, with reference to each other where a plurality are placed upon one printing plate. As shown in the drawings, the registering marks 4 on the guide plate 3 are in the form of cross lines preferably at right angles. and the design 5 is shown with the cross lines thereon corresponding to one half of the cross lines 401* the guide plate. that is, I

crossing outwardly to one end of each. i It be empioyed so far as concerns many ures oi the invention.

in Figs. 5 and '6 of the drawings, the

frame 1 with the transparent design carrysheet 2 attached thereto is shown arranged over the guide plate igand e. pluty of designs 5 positioned upon the trans arent sheet 2 by means of the registering marks 4 of the guide plate and reg isoering mark 6 of the design. The registering marks i upon the guide plete 3 are visible through the transparentv sheet 2, and the designs 5 are brought into registry therewith by means or the registering marks 6, as will be clear from Fig. 5 of the drawings. The designs 5 are then attached by an adhesive in registered position to the sheet 2, and are thus in fixed registry with respect to the frame 1, with respect to the registering marks 4e upon the guide plate 3, and also with respect to euchother. Likewise the designs :tor successive colors 111 muiti-coior printing can also be registered accurately with each other.

For multicolor work one or more frames with sheets 2 "would be employed, the .,uide plate 3 serving to uniformly position ie designs for each successive color upon co responding sheet '2 and also with .re- 0 t each other upon said sheet. In such o repeated use or frame or frames 1 and will made in connection with the guide plate 3 to position the design or designs thereon, the designs then remaining in fixed position until impressed upon the printing plate for the particular color.

In Figs. and 8 the application or use of the registering frame 1 carrying the design is shown in connection with on exposing table for transferring the design to the sensitized surface of a printing plate. In Fig. 7 the exposing table has a bottom or support 10 fixed to a. suitable frame 11. An

open frame 12 is clamped firmly against the Irame 11 by clsmps lii, there being a reilient-element l4- therebetween to constitute an air tight joint. Said exposing table is also shown with s flexible airtight or sealing sheet through which the light s projected to impress the design upon the plate. Said sheet is generally similar to that shown in uppiication for patent Ser. No. 651,079, filed Sept. 25., 1911 by Hugo U. Knudsen.

in Fig. 9 o)": the drawings certain of said urns-new 7 with its sensitized or light sensitive surface uppermost. Upon the surface of the plate the frame 1 is placed with the thin transv parent design carrying sheet 2 in contact with the plate. Fastened in proper relative or registered position upon the transparent sheet 2 are the designs 5. The flexible air tight sheet 16, is clamped between the frames 11 and 12, thereby forming an air tight light-transmitting closure over the plate within the frame. Suitable sir exhausting means are provided, shown herein as a tube or conduit 17 leading from said space between the flexible sheet 16 and the floor or support 10 of the exposing table to a suitable vacuum creating device.

What I do claim as my invention and do sire to secure by Letters Patent, is

.1. The process of registering a plurolit of designs with reference to each other and making printing plates by light action therefrom which comprises placing registering marks upon a. guide plate, placing register.-

ing merits upon :2. plurality of design sheets,

sheet, exhausting the air from between said transparent sheet and said sensitized surface of said printing plate to bring thcminto closer contact and exposing the sensitized surface of a. printing plate to the action of light through said design sheets while so at tuched to. said trunsparentsheou.

2. The combination with an' exposing table having a support for n sensitized printing plate, of a rigid frame provided with a tout design carrying trenspcrent' sheet attached to and extending across said frame adapted to rest upon the sensitized surface of the plate, and u transparent flexible impervious sheet extending over said frame and having its edges settled air tight toseid frame.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name tothis specification, in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses. JGSEPH Ali-THUR HENRY HATT. -Witnessesz JOHN D. MORGAN, Ross Mums. 

